Describing Negative Emotional Responses: English Vocabulary List

deserving intense hatred due to its cruelty

"His behavior was abominable."

"The abominable acts of violence committed during the war left a deep scar on the nation's history."

extremely unpleasant and deserving strong hatred

"The crime was odious."

"The odious crime shocked the entire community and everyone demanded that the police find the criminal quickly."

causing increased annoyance

"The constant noise is aggravating."

"The aggravating noise of the dripping faucet kept me awake for most of the night last night."

extremely unpleasant and disgusting

"The idea is repugnant to me."

"The repugnant smell of rotting garbage made me cover my nose and run out of the kitchen immediately."

causing a feeling of unease, discomfort, or reluctance

"His manner is off-putting."

"His off putting manner and rude comments made everyone feel uncomfortable at the dinner party last evening."

making one feel worried about something

"The news was disquieting."

"The disquieting news about the spreading virus made people stock up on food and stay inside their homes."

causing uneasiness, anxiety, or disturbance

"The change in his behavior is perturbing."

"The perturbing change in his behavior worried his parents who did not know what was wrong with him."

causing annoyance or weariness due to its dull or repetitive nature

"This delay is irksome."

"The irksome task of cleaning the garage took all day and left him exhausted and covered in dust."

causing intense frustration or irritation due to repeated annoyance or difficulty

"Her constant complaints are exasperating."

"The exasperating customer service representative could not solve any of my problems and kept putting me on hold."

causing annoyance or distress

"The constant noise is vexatious."

"The endless legal battles and bureaucratic red tape proved to be a vexatious and time-consuming ordeal for the small business owner."

causing extreme anxiety or tension

"The interview was nerve-wracking."

"The nerve wracking job interview made her palms sweat and her voice shake with nervousness and fear."

causing extreme fear, shock, or disgust

"The scene was gruesome."

"The gruesome crime scene photos were too disturbing for the jury to look at without feeling sick."

causing intense dislike, disgust, or aversion

"The smell is repellent."

"The overwhelming, repellent odor of the garbage dump made everyone hold their noses and quickly walk away."

causing extreme emotional distress, despair, or a profound sense of hopelessness

"The repetitive work is soul-destroying."

"The soul destroying factory job made him feel empty and depressed every single day for many years."

characterized by a deep, lingering sadness or sorrow

"The song has a melancholic tone."

"The melancholic song reminded her of her lost love and she cried quietly while listening to the lyrics."

deserving of pity, regret, or disappointment

"His performance was lamentable."

"The lamentable state of the old building showed years of neglect and lack of proper maintenance by the owners."

causing concern or disappointment

"The result was dismaying."

"The dismaying results of the election shocked the nation and caused widespread protests in the capital city."

boring and repetitive that makes one feel unhappy

"The weather is dreary today."

"The dreary rainy day matched his gloomy mood as he sat alone by the window watching the world pass by."

experiencing or expressing severe physical or emotional pain

"She let out an anguished cry."

"The anguished cry of the mother filled the hospital corridor when she heard that her son had died."

boring and repetitive, often causing frustration or weariness due to a lack of variety or interest

"The job is tedious."

"The data entry job was extremely tedious because he had to type the same numbers into the computer for eight hours every day."

boring because of being the same thing all the time

"The job is monotonous."

"The monotonous sound of the clock ticking drove him crazy after he had been listening to it for hours."

causing intense shock, fear, or disgust

"The traffic was horrendous."

"The horrendous traffic jam made him two hours late for his job interview and he lost the opportunity completely."

causing strong feelings of dislike, disgust, or hatred

"Racism is abhorrent."

"Racism is abhorrent and has no place in a civilized society that values equality and respect for all people."

shocking or disgraceful, often involving immoral or unethical behavior

"The news is scandalous."

"The scandalous affair between the politician and his assistant was exposed by a local newspaper reporter last week."

causing sadness or disappointment

"The team's performance was dismal."

"The dismal performance of the team led to the coach being fired after only one season with the club."

causing extreme pain or discomfort

"The pain was excruciating."

"The excruciating pain in his tooth made him unable to eat sleep or concentrate on anything for two days."

causing a strong feeling of disgust or dislike

"The smell is repulsive."

"The repulsive sight of the rotten food made her lose her appetite and she decided to skip dinner completely."

overly impressive in size or appearance, often to the point of being excessive or showy in a negative way

"He has grandiose plans."

"The grandiose plans for the new shopping mall included a bowling alley a cinema and five different restaurants."

causing irritation, frustration, or distress

"This problem is vexing."

"The vexing problem of how to pay for college kept her awake at night and worried her constantly for months."

causing extreme anxiety, stress, or tension

"Waiting for the result is nerve-racking."

"The nerve racking experience of flying through a thunderstorm made the passengers grip their armrests tightly with white knuckles."

inspiring a sense of fear or unease

"The house looks eerie at night."

"The eerie silence in the abandoned house made the hair on the back of his neck stand up straight."

causing a loss of confidence, hope, or enthusiasm

"The loss was demoralizing."

"The demoralizing loss in the championship game crushed the team's spirit and they could not even look at each other."

causing a feeling of discomfort, anxiety, or fear due to being in confined places

"The small room feels claustrophobic."

"The claustrophobic elevator felt smaller and smaller as the doors closed and trapped us inside the tiny metal box."

extremely unpleasant or rude

"He is an obnoxious person."

"His obnoxious behavior at the party made everyone feel uncomfortable and eager for him to leave."

having or showing a strong desire for revenge

"She felt vengeful after the betrayal."

"The vengeful ex boyfriend spread terrible lies about her on social media because she had ended their toxic relationship."

extremely disgusting or unpleasant

"He said something vile."

"The vile criminal showed no remorse for his terrible actions and the judge sentenced him to life in prison."